Heart of a Hobbit
by Lexial147
Summary: Sam comes across a human girl on a stormy night; with a dark past. Will Sam help the girl to open up with help from Aragorn? Please R and R, rating may go up. First LOTR fanfic! Check it out dudes! Chappie Three up!
1. A stormy discovery

Heyas!!

Okay, this is my first LOTR fic. It's after the book and Frodo has sailed away. I'm still a bit mixed up a bit over the years and dates. So I'm thinking its... 1426ish. So forgive me if I'm very very very very very wrong, dudes!!

This fanfic is dedicated to Spoony and Grem, as they have helped me correct sentences and helped me with dates. THANK YOU DUDES!!

**Disclaimer- **I do not own LOTR, or any of it's characters. I'm just a daydreamer.. sigh Wish I did own them though..... I can still dream though!!

**_Heart of a Hobbit_**

Sam walked quickly up the hill. The rain was lashing down in sheets. His cloak was soaked and iciness pinched his skin. His heart warmed a little, knowing home was round the corner; a crackling fire and a hot supper waiting for him.  
A rumble of thunder echoed through the sky, followed by a small yelp.

"Hullo?", called Sam, trying to be heard over the pounding rain.

"Whoa", came the voice again as a small figure tumbled out the bushes.

"Oh my!", gasped Sam as he found a small human child. A girl no older than seven sneezed silently and looked up at him. Amber eyes gazed. Her hair was plastered down with the rain.

"Sorry mister", she stumbled onto her feet on the mud stricken ground and started to trudge away.  
Sam sped in front of her, as fast as he could in the squelching mud; a shocked look on his wet features.

"What's your name?", he blurted out, the first thing coming to mind.

"L-Leah, mister", she stuttered, the ice rain chilling her bones. "Excuse me, mister. I n-need to find my P-Papa" "Not in this weather!" "But.. He s-said...achoo!!", she muffled her sneeze and wiped the wet sleeve of a ragged top over her face.

"Come on", he took hold of her chilled hand and pulled her along in the sinking mud to his home.

"But Papa said, mister, that.."

"We'll deal with your Papa later, Leah", the girl seemed to flinch at the word, looking at him with great curiosity. "We need to get you warm and dry, catch your death out here and we wouldn't want that".  
Leah's face was a frown and a confused look all rolled into one. Sam ignored it and kept pulling her till he reached the gate, unhooked it, bounded down the garden path and swung the round door open. He pushed Leah in before practically running in himself.

"Oh, Sam! Thank goodness! Merry and Pippin are having-My, oh, my", Rosie stopped short at the kitchen door as she caught sight of the drowned Leah.

"Rosie, this is Leah. Out in that weather! You don't mind, do you?"

"Samwise Gamgee! You make me seem like a cruel hobbit! How could I turn her away, she's soaked through! Come here dear, and we'll get you nice and dry by the fire and you can tell us why you were out in that horrible weather!", Rosie smiled gently and held out her hand, trying to coax Leah forwards.

"Don't be shy", replied Sam; hanging up his drenched clock the pushing her the short distance to Rosie.  
She steered Leah into the kitchen where two other hobbits were sitting at a wooden table, beside the huge fireplace. The flickering light helped Sam to see the child more clearly; a nasty scrape on her cheek, dirt flecked across her pale face. She looked more confused then scared.

"Sam, good gracious, you're soaked!", a hobbit with golden honey curls spoke up. "Who's this?"

"Leah", Sam slid down onto the seat and spoke under his breath. "You be careful what you say Master Merry, you as well Master Pippin. To tell the truth, I'm a bit worried".

"Worried?", asked Pippin, forgetting to keep his voice down.

"Pippin!", hissed Merry, slightly elbowing him. The three glanced to Leah who had been pushed towards the fire; she seemed very interested in her leather boots.  
Rosie then trotted along, a fresh ironed linen shirt folded neatly over her arm. "Follow me, Leah, and we'll get you out of those wet clothes".  
Leah followed her into the side room, which contained a writing desk and various stacks of paper.

"Miss Rosie", the child spoke timidly. "I-I don't think I understand".

"What don't you understand, dear?", Rosie replied, pulling off the wet ragged shirt that the girl wore.

"Why you are all being so nice. Aren't… aren't I in trouble?"

"Trouble?! Of course not! Now let's slip this on you and get you by that warm fire, hmmmm?" Before Leah knew it she was sitting beside a huge fire, a cup of warm milk in her hands. She was in an environment she never thought she would be in. Never even dreamed about. A home.

_to be continued..._

Well dudes, that's a wrap! Please review and tell me what you think!! Flames will be used to toast up some marshmallows for our Hobbit-friends!

Happy days dudes!


	2. A Hobbit Discussion

Heyas dudes!!

Thanks for the reviews! Here's the next chappie for yous! Please R and R!

_**Disclaimer- I don't own LOTR, or any of it's characters. It's heartbreaking, isn't it?**_

_**A Hobbit Discussion**_

"Well, she's certainly not well. Even by that fire she's caught the sniffles. Half shaking already, bed rest is what that child needs, Sam. Nothing much to worry about", smiled Rosie. Leah had fallen asleep on the floor, slumped down and a slight smile on her face.

"Yes, Rosie. What I meant by worried is, well, would you ever let Elanor, or Frodo or Rose even out in weather like that?"

"Of course not!"

"Well, that's what I'm worried about", replied Sam, his usually happy self beaten down.

"If you ask me", stated Pippin, speaking up. "She's got some nasty bruises. I don't think you could get those sort by just running through bad weather".

"That is true, Pip", murmured Merry. "You said that she was talking about meeting her Papa somewhere, Sam. She say where about?"

"No.. I told her we needed to get inside, before she caught her death. Funny thing is... oh, it doesn't matter".

"What?!", demanded Merry and Pippin, strangely jumping up at the same time.

"Quiet! You'll wake the children!", whispered Rosie, harshly. "I'll just go check up on them, Frodo was a bit worried about the storm earlier..", Rosie bustled out the kitchen and into the halls.

"Come on, Sam. Tell us", Pippin insisted again. He certainly was a persistent hobbit.

"I don't know, just me being silly, maybe. Well, I think.. When I told her we wouldn't want her to catch her death...she looked like no-one had ever said that to her. Or cared about her....probably just my eyes playing tricks on me though.."

The three hobbits sat in silence, apart from the large fire crackling and a yawn from Leah, who was still in a deep sleep.

"Sam...what are you going to do with her though?", Merry bit his lip after he finished his sentence. "I didn't mean how it sounds... I just mean, well we're hobbits and she's a...a human. Shouldn't she be with her own kind?"

"I'll see where she thinks her Papa is first, if not well...it seems I might have to pay a visit to Aragorn. He would know what to do if we can't find her parents.."

The hobbits continued there talk in low voices. Leah shifted in her position on the floor, her dream troubling her, the way it always did..

_It was dark._

_It's always dark._

_Leah looked round, the same place. Always the same place.....because there's no escape. Never an escape._

"_Hello?", she called out softly, it echoed round though. _

"_Leah!"_

"_Papa!?", Leah cried. He always answered...because every dream was the same. Every night._

"_Meet me in Bree, Leah. Remember, you promised? We will meet in Bree..."_

"_But Papa! They're still after me...they look so angry. Please come get me Papa... please"._

_The silence was deathly._

"_Papa? ...Papa?", Leah prayed for an answer. "Oh no Papa! Please come back! I need you...please..?"_

But Leah's pleas fell on death ears...

_To be continued......_

Thanks for reading! Please drop me a review.. No flames though. THEY BURN! Any flames will be used to help my flamethrower burn down doors!

Happy days! -


	3. I'm only alright if it's nighttime

Heylo! Well, I'm back, thanks for the reviews, Grem and Amanda dragon You guys rawk!! Hope this is a long chapter.. was 936 all story when I checked.. anyways! Time for disclaming..

**disclaimer-** I don't own LOTR, or any of it's characters except my Leah! She's mine, so back off! So I don't own LOTR.. cos if I did, I would be like sending this off and get it turned into a book... so yes! I don't own!

_Italics- _Oringinally a flashback.. but then for a slight moment or sentence it's thinking. Hope you're still with me after all this blathering :P

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**_I'm only alright if it's night-time…_**

Sam breathed in the fresh smell of due on every grass blade. That was always the reward after a storm.  
A mixture of new scents floated about the air… a gardener's heart's content. How Sam loved it…  
  
Leah awoke aching and throbbing all over. Where was she? Laying upon a bed of all things! She hadn't been on or in a bed since…… four years old.  
  
The sheets were soft and provided little warmth to her chilled body. The room she was in, must be the guest room, it had a small desk, with a mirror placed above, a chair, a basin full of water, and a small wardrobe to one side. A large round window occupied the other wall, letting the first streams of sunlight filter onto the floor.  
  
Leah sat up in the bed and twisted the sheets within her fingers. It wasn't safe here, Papa wasn't here.  
  
Oh, how she longed to see his smiling face again, his worn hands rubbing her back, his arms hugging her and keeping her safe from the world. But he wasn't there with her, and that only meant she was alone..  
  
She looked out the wide window and came across the strange country with awe. It was so…. Pretty. No brunt out trees, starched ground, just grass and flowers and trees. And amazing things to her eyes.  
  
Not at all like the slave grounds.  
  
The land there was horrid, so were the masters. Always muttering about the new King of Gondor and his stupid ways. Leah wanted to hear about the King but she had gotten many whip lashes doing so, she remembered the first time when her Papa told her about him..  
  
_"Papa", whispered Leah, it was late and they would get a lashing if they were caught talking.  
  
Her Papa was laying on one side, breathing heavily. He had been given punishment for 'slacking' by helping old Mister Cleven when he had fallen over on his old legs.  
  
"Yes, Leah?", he muttered, turning his gaze to his child. His face was starting to bruise painfully, deep blue marks encircling his cheeks, shoulder and stomach.  
  
"Why don't we ge' to see the King?", she asked mournfully, glancing up at the night sky, the stars were hidden by clouds that night. Leah loved the stars. Her Papa said they were like torches of hope. Hope of new life one day.  
  
"You want to see the King do you? Why?"  
  
"Cos Masters say he's really stupid an' mean. But you said not t' judge people without meetin' them".  
  
"Well, I, personally Leah, believe that the King is a lovely man. Even when the Masters tell me not too, because it's your own choice. I'm sure we'll see the King one day, and then you'll see why I think he's lovely, and maybe even why the Masters think he's stupid".  
  
"Bu' why they say he stupid, Papa?"  
  
"They don't like the way he does things, I suppose. He doesn't like what they are doing here and.."  
  
"What ar' they doing here?", Leah asked suddenly, interrupting.  
  
"Slavery. It means, well you know you must do everything the Masters say?", Leah nodded. "We shouldn't really have too, like servants, they offer their services to their Masters, we, on the other hand, were not given a choice".  
  
"Papa….do you promise I'll get to see the King one day?", Leah leaned against his warm body.  
  
"I promise. See, the stars promise too", he whispered and together they watched as the clouds moved away and the stars shine once again….  
_  
Leah quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks as the door handle was swiftly opening.  
  
"Mornin' Leah", smiled Sam, come in from the garden. "How are you feeling?"  
  
Leah looked at him uncertainly, why was he asking her how she was feeling? Her instinct told her to answer in case she got into trouble. "I'm fine, mister. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Well, I'm pretty cheerful this morning. I like mornings after big storms. Do you?"  
  
"I suppose they are alright, sir".  
  
"Leah, can you tell me why you were out in that storm?"  
  
"I was running", she meekly replied.  
  
Sam's brow ceased. _Running?_ "Why were you running?"  
  
"'Cause Master wasn't happy with me..".  
  
"Master? Why do you have a Master?"  
  
"I don't know…. He wasn't happy with me, 'cause I fell and dropped the vase and it went and smashed all over the ground. He looked really scary and he got the big whip out and he was saying he was gonna kill me and I was frightened so I ran and I knocked over the torches..", her voice got higher and higher till she choked down a sob.  
  
Sam rubbed her back and said warmly. "Can you tell me what happened next?"  
  
"I…..I knocked over the torches and everything went on fire and then everyone was screaming and Master still had his big whip so I ran away. Master tried to follow me but the flames was getting higher and burning all the trees, so he had to help put them out so I got far away before he notices..", she stifled a sob again.  
  
"Where was this place, Leah?", asked Sam gently, wiping away a few of her tears.  
  
"I don't know if it had a proper name, Masters only called it the 'Slave grounds'".  
  
"Slave grounds? You were a slave?"  
  
"Uh-huh", she mumbled, wiping her eyes.  
  
"Oh, you poor lass! Why don't you stay here for a little bit and settle, and I'll be back soon, think you'll be alright by then?"  
  
"I'm only alright when it's night-time, sir"  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
"Cause the stars can protect you then, sir. Papa said that the stars are very special.."  
  
"They are, Leah. They are"……….

_to be continued...._

Well, again thank you for reviewing and reading this quite long chapter..(for me) So please review and I'll love you for ever!! And I'll think you are a rawkingly person.. that means you're ace! So please review and no flames.. cos they will just be used to burn the Slave grounds again.. MWHAHAHAHA! cough so yeah! Review pleasums!

Happy dayz!


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